Key Takeaways:
• The Diamonds and Delta Tour provided industry leaders an end-to-end look at Botswana’s diamond value chain, visiting the Okavango Diamond Company, DTCB, and the Debswana Jwaneng Mine.
• Ethical management of natural diamond revenues directly funds social development in Botswana, including free state education, fully covered healthcare, and expanded infrastructure.
• Advanced traceability initiatives like Tracr use blockchain, AI, and 3D scanning to create tamper-proof digital passports for stones from discovery to retail showcases.
As the owner and publisher of Southern Jewelry News and Jewelry Store Marketers, I usually spend my days immersed in the marketing, media and business sides of the jewelry industry. I’ll be the first to admit: I am by no means a diamond expert. I haven’t spent decades peering through a jeweler’s loupe, grading clarity or evaluating complex cuts. When it comes to the technical, hands-on side of the diamond trade, I consider myself a total newbie.
So when I was honored with an invitation to join the Diamonds and Delta Tour—a trip organized by the House of Botswana, led by Veer Diamonds, and hosted by the incredibly welcoming Kaushal Shah, his wife Priyanka and his father Satish—my wife, Jennelle, and I jumped at the opportunity. For someone in my position, this wasn’t just a trip; it was an eye-opening masterclass. It gave me, along with all of the delegates, the chance to pull back the curtain, step straight into the bedrock where a diamond’s life begins, and gain a profound understanding of what really happens behind the scenes before a gem ever reaches a retail showcase.
The Three-Day Deep Dive in Gaborone and Jwaneng
Our journey began with three intense, fascinating days exploring the heart of Botswana’s diamond industry in Gaborone and the surrounding region. As relative newcomers to the mechanics of the rough diamond trade, my fellow travelers and I watched the entire process unfold step by step, starting at the Okavango Diamond Company before moving on to the Diamond Trading Company Botswana.
At ODC, we learned how rough stones are sorted and prepared for auction, giving the government and local stakeholders direct access to market value. A major highlight of this visit was watching our host, Kaushal, explain the complex journey of turning rough stones into finished, polished gems. His passion and expertise were so evident that the staff—who process millions of carats annually—were thoroughly impressed and honored his impromptu masterclass with a spontaneous round of applause.
At DTCB, state-of-the-art sorting technology combines with expert human evaluation to process millions of carats annually. Our visit to DTCB captured the blend of wonder and rich personal connection that defined the tour, especially when the staff surprised us with piles of rough diamonds shaped into the Veer logo. We even got the opportunity to hold a massive 294-carat rough diamond!
We also saw firsthand how Botswana is leading a global revolution in diamond traceability through Tracr, a cutting-edge, blockchain-based platform. By registering rough diamonds at the moment of discovery and using a combination of blockchain, AI and advanced 3D scanning, Tracr creates a tamper-proof “digital passport” for each stone that follows it through every stage of its evolution—from rough sorting in Gaborone, to the sightholder’s cutting and polishing wheel, and finally to the retail jewelry showcase.
Next, we traveled to the Debswana Jwaneng Mine—widely known as the richest diamond mine in the world by value. Standing on the edge of its massive “super pit” was an unforgettable experience. We learned about the unique types, extraordinary quality and immense volume of rough diamonds extracted from this single location. While there, we also got up close to explore the mine’s massive haul trucks—colossal machines capable of carrying an astonishing 300 tons of rock in a single load!
Even more impressive than the sheer scale of the operation, however, was seeing the mine’s direct local impact. We visited the Jwaneng Mine Hospital, a state-of-the-art medical facility built and fully funded by the diamond trade. The hospital serves the mine’s workforce and surrounding community, and Botswana’s diamond revenues fully cover medical care for the local community—ensuring high-quality healthcare for residents at zero personal cost.
To top off this Gaborone portion of the trip, we had the incredible privilege of visiting the Ministry of Minerals and Energy to meet with Minister Bogolo Joy Kenewendo. Minister Kenewendo had just arrived from a packed travel itinerary, but she generously made time to chat with our group, take a photo and share insights into Botswana’s mining vision. While her tight schedule kept me from sitting down for a full video podcast interview this time around, I was thrilled to leave copies of Southern Jewelry News and Mid-America Jewelry News with her office. I’m certainly keeping my fingers crossed for an interview in the near future!
The Power of the “Diamond Baby”
Of all the incredible lessons I learned during our time in Gaborone, one concept stood out: the phrase “Diamond Baby.”
When locals talk about a “Diamond Baby,” they are describing anyone born into a generation that directly reaped the rewards of Botswana’s diamond discoveries. When Botswana gained independence in the late 1960s, it was one of the poorest nations on earth, with just a couple of miles of paved road across the entire country.
Fast forward to today, and Botswana has transformed into a thriving nation, driven almost entirely by the ethical management of its natural resources. The government, ministry and industry partners worked to build an environment of transparency, equal opportunity for men and women, higher pay and rigorous ethics.
Because of this stewardship, being a citizen in Botswana means:
- Free Education: Every child can receive an education from primary school through university, fully covered by the state.
- Free Healthcare: Citizens receive healthcare services without bearing personal financial hardship.
- Modern Infrastructure: That handful of paved roads has expanded into thousands of miles of modern highways, connecting communities, schools and hospitals.
Seeing this firsthand completely reframed my perspective on natural diamonds. I interviewed Ada Thela, founder and CEO of Zoe Diamonds, a fully Motswana-owned diamond cutting and polishing company. As a “diamond baby”, she told me how the diamond industry has “done so much for the country in terms of our socio-economic development, from our roads, our schools, our education.” Ada benefited from this and attended the University of Botswana, fully funded by the government. When you realize how many lives this industry uplifts, a diamond stops being just a piece of jewelry and becomes a symbol of human progress and national pride.
Wild Wonders: Chobe and Victoria Falls
After completing our educational dive in Gaborone, we flew north to experience the natural beauty that makes Botswana so iconic. We stayed at the Chobe Safari Lodge, situated right on the banks of the Chobe River in the Chobe Game Reserve. The wildlife experience was surreal; you didn’t even have to leave the hotel property to feel completely immersed in nature, with birds, mongooses, and warthogs constantly scurrying across the grounds!
Once we headed out on safari drives and boat cruises to see incredible herds of elephants, hippos, and giraffes, it was clear we had all worked hard on our safari looks. However, Greg Tidwell completely stole the show with his next-level safari hat—a golf tournament prize he had saved specifically for the bush. As we explored, spontaneous choruses of “Hakuna Matata” broke out almost every single time a warthog scurried past. We also got much closer to the wildlife than we ever expected; while we loved watching the lions interact, we didn’t realize we’d end up with front-row seats to them mating!
We even took an unforgettable side trip across the border into Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, where you’ll get totally soaked if you are too cool to wear the provided raincoats. The excitement followed us to the local markets, where Kaushal’s dad, Satish, pulled off one of the trip’s biggest wins by putting on a bargaining masterclass and talking a local vendor down from $150 to $10 for a gorgeous wood-carved elephant. Meanwhile, back in Botswana at the Kazungula Bridge, we stood near the four-country border point where Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia intersect.
Our wildlife adventures came with some seriously memorable meals. At the safari lodge, the absolute star for the meat-eaters of the group was the tender, surprisingly delicious crocodile tail, which everyone loved, and my wife noted it tasted just like pork. We also had a blast listening to the incredible performances of African singers at the safari property’s BBQ restaurant, even if we were all secretly terrified they would pull us up to dance with them! Thankfully, Mckenzie gracefully took that role for our group.
Of course, eating outdoors in these wild settings kept us on our toes. During a gorgeous lunch overlooking the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, a lightning-fast monkey darted right across our table and snatched the bun straight off Priyanka’s veggie burger before we even realized what was happening—it was so fast I didn’t even see the thief! Between that quick-handed monkey and laughing over Greg’s ongoing, hilarious quest for a proper “Margherita pizza” (which always turned out to be basic cheese pizza), the food on this trip gave us stories and laughs we’ll be sharing for years to come.
Throughout it all, I was struck by how genuinely friendly, warm, and welcoming the local people were. English is spoken everywhere, making communication completely seamless, and prices throughout Botswana were surprisingly affordable, making travel easy and enjoyable.
Building Lifelong Industry Connections
While the diamonds and the wildlife were unforgettable, the best part of the journey was the people I got to share it with. Traveling halfway around the world creates a unique kind of bond.
I made fantastic new friends, including Richi, Chris and their daughter Lindy from Ketterman’s Jewelers in Leesburg, Virginia, as well as Greg, Trevor and McKenzie Tidwell from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was also wonderful reconnecting with my long-time friend Kate Marks from Marks of Design in Shelton, Connecticut.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Kaushal Shah, his wife Priyanka, his father Satish, Pat Dambe of the House of Botswana, and every individual who opened their doors to our group. Your hospitality was second to none.
Why Retailers Need to Take This Journey
For any retail jeweler looking to deepen their connection to the products they sell, I cannot recommend a trip like this highly enough. Walking through the value chain gives you a genuine story of ethics, community empowerment and conservation that you cannot get from a sales brochure. Contact Veer if you are interested in learning about the trip: travel@veer.diamonds or 855-836-5483.
I extensively documented our entire trip on video, capture by capture—from the high-security sorting floors in Gaborone to the roaring waters of Victoria Falls. Over the coming weeks, I’ll edit and release a full video series giving you an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the entire tour!
